ghosts

Audiobook Reviews: 4/5 Stars Spirit Talker (Native Warrior Series Book 2) by Elizabeth Anne Porter

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, ghosts, historical, time travel , , ,

Narrated by Christy Sassmen

pic from audible

Summary:

Clementine Monroe’s imaginary friend, Wihanbla, is more than a figment of her imagination.

Additional Comments:

  • Very interesting premise, but it didn’t feel like much was happening. A lot of the beginning consisted of her sitting in a special spot talking to her friend who somehow crosses time and space to be able to see and converse with her.
  • The development of their relationship was interesting, as they finally overcome the major hurdle to anything more than friendship.
  • I always have major issues with time-travel books. Even with the giant “magic” bandage, it felt implausible. To me, this files the book under cute but illogical.
  • Narration was very well-handled. This did not come across as an easy to read story.

Conclusion:

If time-travel stories don’t bother you, this is a cool story. The back cover copy (blurb) pretty much describes everything that will happen, but the journey to get there still holds some appeal.

Audiobook Avalanche:

These are my books. I have free codes for almost everything.

New Release: Shadow Council Books 1-4. FBI Special Agent Megan Luchek finds several different kinds of trouble from Hawaii to Pennsylvania and back again.

New Release: Fatal Interest. Miranda Kale doesn’t believe in ghosts … until one sends her on a crazy case at a private school.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Awakening – Vic finds out she’s the Chosen One. She just doesn’t get why people are trying to kill her.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

3.45/5 Rowan’s End by L. D. Ricard

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Fantasy, ghosts , , ,
pic from audible

Narrated by Christy Sassmen

Summary:

The murder of Lexy’s father greatly alters the course of her and her mother’s lives. They’re forced to go to a place they inherited from her father (because somebody is mysteriously ruining all other opportunities for them).

Additional Comments:

  • Lexy’s powers/gifts are unique (as in I’ve not run into this exact skill in a long time), so that’s cool. She experiences things as she dreams.
  • The notion that her mother has powers too is intriguing.
  • Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like any of the potential for awesomeness panned out fully.
  • Their mystery solving skills are aided by timely hints from a ghost. They seem powerless throughout most of the book.
  • The bad guys and their ghost dogs are suitably evil (and cool, even if that part was kind of gruesome.)
  • I feel like I might have missed something because the end didn’t seem to have any closure. In fact, I’m 100% blanking on what happened at the end. I think it was the setup to a sequel, but other than that, couldn’t tell you.
  • There was a training aspect. Maybe I’m just cynical, but since Harry Potter’s school take on the whole training of witches/warlocks thing, I’ve not once seen the training done well. It’s like the semi-blind leading the truly blind.

Conclusion:

The book has some interesting ideas and is probably the start of a decent series. Even though I felt it fumbled some of the potential of its characters, the series as a whole has room to grow into a strong, compelling set of fantasy stories.

Never Again isn’t available in audio yet.

Audiobook Avalanche:

These are my books. I have free codes for almost everything.

New Release: Shadow Council Books 1-4. FBI Special Agent Megan Luchek finds several different kinds of trouble from Hawaii to Pennsylvania and back again.

New Release: Fatal Interest. Miranda Kale doesn’t believe in ghosts … until one sends her on a crazy case at a private school.

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms. 

5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions

Audiobook Reviews 3.45/5 Stars: The Loudest Meow

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, children's, Fantasy, ghosts , , ,

3.45/5 Fun Fluff for Cat Fans

*will try to keep this spoiler free until after ads

Summary:

Jem’s dead. She’s also a cat. She ends up in a weird cat heaven of sorts. Her sole goal is to make it back to Molly and Nick. In the afterlife, she meets several of Molly and Nick’s old cats.

Additional Comments:

  • It’s cute. It’s unique.
  • Characters 4/5: Jem’s cute. The rest of the eclectic ghost cast is sort of forgettable, but there are some really great dynamics of love and hate and jealousy. It’s like middle school.
  • World-building 4/5: The world created is fine fantasy in that it’s plausible and well-described.
  • Plot 2/5: It’s pretty much one random event after another meandering to nowhere. I guess you could say it’s about Jem’s emotional journey, but I’m used to more action in stories.
  • Audiobook version is fun, though I will say that Marmalade’s voice got very old, very quickly. Thankfully, she’s really only prominent in the first third of the book.
  • Can’t make heads or tails of what the title has to do with the story.

Conclusion:

Although clearly kid-friendly, I’m not exactly buying into the idea of this book actually being aimed at kids in grades 4-7. I’d broaden the general appeal to “people who love cats.”

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 ….)

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.


OR

Spoiler talk:

  • Continued thoughts on plot: When they were meeting to help Rusty, did they actually do anything? I got the feeling they met and sort of sent him positive vibes.
  • The whole check in process, training process, etc was cool, but it never went anywhere.
  • They’re already dead, so there wasn’t much sense of danger or suspense.
  • The story doesn’t have much closure except that Jem seems to have accepted her fate.

Audiobook Reviews 4/5: Broken Branches by Brenda M. Spalding

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, Author Resource, ghosts, Paranormal, romance, women's fiction , ,

 

Narrated by Eliza Wethers

4/5 Romance Mystery with Hints of Paranormal

*mild spoilers possible

Summary:

Megan Calloway loses her grandmother in a tragic accident. After going to her gran’s house to hold the funeral and close out her affairs, Megan’s not entirely convinced it was an accident. Mysterious things are still happening around the house.

 

Additional Comments:

  • Characters (3.5/5 stars): They’re believable, if somewhat ridiculous. Amanda and Zach were kind of superfluous.
  • Plot (3/5 stars): Have these people never heard of a locksmith? First break-in, okay, scary, but do the instinctive but stupid thing of investigating. Second break-in, what part of first one didn’t sink in enough to say, “hey, probably should change my locks?” Third break-in, really? Also, the costume party was an excellent addition to the plot, but the actual costumes people picked were painfully cliché in a few cases, which I won’t name to avoid spoilers.
  • Romance (3/5): I’m not a big romance fan, but I would have bought the relationship a whole lot more if it didn’t begin during this book. Even if it had started a few months before the opening, it would have made a lot more sense. Do people really meet and sleep with somebody in 24 hours? I mean when they don’t intend it as a one-night stand.
  • Narration (4.5/5): Good distinction between characters. Great accents.
  • Content Warnings: There are several adult scenes that don’t quite fade to black. That would place this on the very edge of being what I’d consider clean. A few curses worked in at appropriate points (at least they’re not flung about just for the heck of it.)
  • Paranormal aspects seemed out of place. They popped up at sporadic points around the book, which was otherwise very normal. Some people will find that charming. Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite books are paranormal and genre mixing can be great for a story. Still, I found it odd here.
  • Don’t think the cover fits very well. It’s got too many literary vibes, not enough paranormal.

Conclusion:

If you like romance/mystery mixes with bits of paranormal, this is the book for you.

Associate links to follow…

(If you click through and buy something, there’s the chance I’ll earn like $0.04 … not kidding, that’s basically it.)

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

Romance and mystery your thing? Check out The Kiverson Case. (A pair of FBI agents have it out with a man who likes to play games.)


OR

Movie Reviews 4/5 stars: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Julie Gilbert Fantasy, ghosts, Young Adult , , , , , , ,

This is the movie poster. I do not own the rights to it, but it’s not exactly a state secret.

*mild spoilers possible in discussion

Summary:

I had no expectations going into the movie, except that if Tim Burton directed it, you’re bound to be in for some brand of weird.

Additional Comments:

  • I never read the books, so I can’t compare how that story lines up/lives up to this one.
  • Casting department did a nice job. Eva Green as Miss Peregrine pulled off austere yet caring very well. The kid who played Jake Portman pulled off average Joe look very well too.
  • Characters 4/5: There are a heck of a lot of characters here. Jake and Emma are fairly quickly singled out as the would-be love interests. Miss Peregrine explains she’s an em-something or other lady who can control time. Their powers are kind of ordinary for Gifts, but it still works very well. Don’t remember all their names but there’s an adorable little girl who has super strength. (That led to some great moments like her picking up the twins and holding them up so they can see.) Fiona can make things grow. Enoch can control inanimate objects as long as they have a little creepy heart he puts in them. Emma can fly. There are a few others, but I forget their powers
  • Plot 3/5: I enjoyed the sections seeing the parts of their daily life and meeting the Peculiars.
  • Pacing 2/5: They could definitely have cut like 20 minutes and been fine. The beginning part crawled. Once he actually got to the home, things moved along better.
  • For kids? Content warnings: Not sure who the movie was aimed at. Seems like a kid movie, but the thing with the eyes was kind of nasty. I get it, they’re monsters, but still, that’s just gross.
  • Favorite part: When the bad guy brings Jake to the home and Miss Peregrine agrees to go with him. The part where she shushes the bad guy like 3 times was hilarious. I enjoyed the fact that it was a powerful moment but they put some humor into it.
  • Comparatives: It’s most similar to Percy Jackson in terms of monster fighting. A wee bit of Harry Potter school/ routine influence.

Time travel aspect:

  • I’ve very rarely seen time travel stories that work. This is one of those rare explanations that I buy the explanation.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed it. Don’t think it’ll ever be in my top 10 must see movies ever, but I’m glad I took the time to watch it.

Associate links to follow…

This Movie…

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.

Try The Dark Side of Science.


OR

Audiobook Reviews 3/5: Short Story Collection by Charlie Chitty Narrated by Petrina Kingham

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, ghosts, Horror , ,

3/5 stars Mixed Bag Short Story Collection

Summary:

The stories range a bit in genre from zombie apocalypse to family drama to futuristic scifi to suspense to flat out horror. It’s a little hard to judge something like this on the whole. There are stories in here I absolutely loved, like the one with the 12 year old boy and the baby. On the flip side, there are some stories in here that are so disturbing that I can’t even recommend the book on a clean mailing list.

Additional Comments:

– Most of the stories have some sort of circular logic, a twist at the end that makes it wrap up nicely given previous events. That makes them cool but somewhat predictable.

– I can’t remember every detail right now, but I guess it followed a standard bell curve. 2-3 stories really impressed me in every sense, most didn’t move me one way or the other, and 2-3 either annoyed me or brought out some other negative emotion.

– Content warning: Adult content. There’s one story in particular where the plot involves teenagers getting into the porn industry. Very strong language. Several stories dropped unnecessary f-bombs. (There were about 5-7 throughout the book, maybe 1 was necessary to move the plot forward.)

– I heard the audio version. It was decently narrated.

– There’s a note at the end of the audiobook that bothered me because it came across as arrogant. It said something like “if you enjoyed this, please consider leaving a review …” (that’s standard and totally acceptable, but then it went on…I’m paraphrasing here.) “If you didn’t like it, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you don’t know how to have fun.” I get that it was meant to be funny, but it’s way more abrasive than it should be. People being people, at best you get a chuckle or two but at what cost?

Conclusion:

It’s a very mixed short story collection. Some are worth reading, and some are not. This book will not be on the Audiobook Edge list, but I’m starting to believe that I should just post all opinions and let people decide for themselves what they spend their time on.

 

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

 

Audible – If you’d like some free codes, please email me at [email protected] with requests for any of my works.


Awesome Audiobooks: The Automaton’s Wife by Vered Ehsani

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, ghosts, mystery, Paranormal, Reader Resource , ,

Introduction:

This story picks up roughly where The Ghosts of Tsavo left off. The series is pretty cool if you’re into strange characters. The narrator’s perfect for the part.

Review:

5/5 Charming, Witty, Weird

Summary: Bee’s back and she’s got her hands full. There’s murder and mayhem afoot and bigger crises like warding off would-be suitors.

Additional Comments:

– I think I’ve said it before: this is my brand of weird. That said, it’s probably not going to be everybody’s cup of tea. If you’re in the mood for a serious book, definitely wrong series.

– If you’re in the mood for fun and weird, definitely a great series to try.

– The series combines the charm of Alexander McCall Smith’s #1 Detective Agency with the random, wacky weirdness of Seth Graham Smith’s Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies.

– I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks lately and these are always a light-hearted bit of escapism.

– The character has a few quirks that can come across as annoying, especially in the way she describes things. But overall, it’s still highly entertaining.

– I find the blurb a tad misleading after you’ve heard or read the story, but if you enjoyed the first story, I see no reason for you to dislike this one. If this is your introduction to the series, you might want to grab book one so you have some context.

Conclusion: Decent entry in an awesome series.

Conclusion:

I’ve listened to dozens of audiobooks this year, and I have to say, this series is one of my favorites. They’re very, very strange, but quirky little mysteries. Most of the charm’s in the characters.

-Jules

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

Free Kindle Reading App

Audible

Audiobook Reviews: Christmas and Ghosts – 3 Books by Paul Fitz-George

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, ghosts, London, Paranormal, Reader Resource , , ,

Something New, Something Strange …

The review this round is going to be a tad different than normal. I’m reviewing three different books by the same author. Paul Fitz-George writes about ghosts. He’s a bit of a supernatural historian.

The Reviews …

4/5 The West End Ghost Book: A Ghostly Gallivant Through London’s Haunted Heartland

Summary: Sort of a who’s who of creepy ghosts and where to find them in London.

Additional Comments:

– Kind of glad that I didn’t have this book before my trip to London.

– I heard the audio version. The narrator did a lovely job with the performance, but some of the titles were really hard to distinguish because of the sound effect used to make it even creepier.

– It’s like an occult history book. I found it interesting because it’s vastly different from my usual listening fare.

Conclusion: If you’re up for some ghosts, give this a go.

4/5 The Whitby Ghost Book

Summary: A peek into the supernatural goings on in Whitby, England.

Additional Comments:

– Writing and narration are both good, though I could do without the sound effects. Sometimes they help, but in this case, they just made some sections hard to hear.

– Cover’s pretty creepy, but it fits the mood nicely.

– A nice companion piece to the West End Ghost Book (though I think this one was actually the first book).

Conclusion: Historical supernatural accounts. Not exactly sure what to call them.

4/5 Christmas Customs of Old Whitby by Paul Christopher Fitz-George

Summary: A super-short, niche book about Christmas customs in an old English town.

Additional Comments:

– The title sort of says it all.

– I heard the audioversion. The narrator fit the project well.

– If you’re into history, it might be a good fit for you.

Conclusion:

Small slice of history with a touch of weird.

Conclusion:

Paul Fitz-George’s works definitely fall outside the realm of normal, but they’re fun and short overall. He’s got two narrators: Time Winters and Petrina Kingham. Both handle their respective stories well. I’d listen to more works by them.

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

If you’re an author (or a narrator) with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

Er, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.


Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

Free Kindle Reading App

Audible

Audiobook Reviews 4/5: When Dracula met the Jabberwocky by Paul Fitz-George

Julie Gilbert Audiobooks, ghosts, Kindle books, Nonfiction, Paranormal , , , , ,

4/5 Sort of a Paranormal Travel Guide to Whitby, England

Summary:

The blurb sums up the tale. It’s an essay about how Whitby, a town on England’s North Yorkshire Coast, might have influenced the works of Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Lewis Carroll and Bram Stoker.

Additional Comments:

– I heard the audioversion. The narrator did a nice job. I might be a tad biased, but so is the rest of the world who thinks the British accent is just lovely to listen to.
– It’s a super-short work. ~35 minutes
– It probably would have meant more to me if I was a bigger fan of those authors. (Alas, Dickens is okay, but I find him a tad depressing and high school English sort of ruined his works for me. I’ve not heard of Wilkie Collins. A movie when I was a kid is probably my only experience with Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland. And I’ve never read Bram Stoker.)
– The other thing that could make the work mean more to me is if I planned a trip to Whitby. I heard a rumor that it’s been called the one book you SHOULD read if you plan to visit Whitby, England.
– I found it kind of cool to hear about the tie-ins to the literature anyway.

Conclusion:

Not sure if this book alone would tempt me to visit Whitby, but if I’d planned on visiting, it certainly would enhance the experience.

 

As Always …

If you want the chance to get the audiobook for free, please join Audiobook Readers’ Edge.

If you’re an author (or a narrator) with an audiobook you’d like featured, sign up for Audiobook Authors’ Edge.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Julie C. Gilbert

Audiobook Edge and it’s Matchmaker Program are completely free now, but if you wanna donate anyway, go for it 😉

Please, just do it as a friend b/c otherwise, you’re basically just paying paypal.

Prime Student – Oh, how I wish I was still a student.

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